Aguirre Schwarz (Zevs)

Aguirre Schwarz (Zevs) Biography

B. 1977, Saverne, France – Lives and Works in Paris, France and Berlin, Germany

A pioneering graffiti artist in Paris in the 1990s and one of the most prominent figures of the contemporary street art scene, Zevs is renowned for his signature ‘Liquidation’ series in which he fearlessly disfigures highly recognizable logos into deconstructed forms. The classic trademarks of established global brands–Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Coca-Cola, Google, among others–are effectively deformed or ‘liquidated’, subversively debased into thin bands of dripping paint. Zevs’ distortion of familiar logos diminishes these iconic commercial images of idealized wealth and status, desire and beauty, into tainted symbols of shameless modern day materialism.

Aguirre Schwarz (Zevs) was born in 1977 in Saverne, France. He first gained renown as a street artist in Paris during the 1990s. He has participated in exhibitions and performances worldwide, including the 2010 Moscow Biennial, Ny Carlsberg Glyptothek in Copenhagen, the Mechelen Cultural Center, and at the historic Cabaret Voltaire in Zurich.